Depression
by Dangerous Combonation
Summary: Harry's depressed over the loss of his godfather, and a certain fellow Gryffindor who has loved him forever sets out to restore the happiness he once had. Will Harry fall for her in the process? Rated M for now. Story on pause due to Writer's Block.
1. And So It Begins

**Ok, this is not at all like my first fic, "The Two." (read it please!) I'm warning you right now, this will not be a Hermione/Draco, Hermione/Ron or Ginny/Harry. If you don't like it, then I'm just going to have 2 deal with losing a reader. If you want Ginny/Harry and Hermione/Draco, read "The Two." R&R! This fic is Harry/Hermione and probably Draco/Ginny.**

**Depression**

**Chapter 1**

**And so it begins**

Harry was sitting on the windowpane of his bedroom at Number 4 Privet Drive, staring out into the sky. He kept muttering to himself, "I can't believe he's actually gone." He still hadn't gotten over the death of his godfather, Sirius Black, 2 years before. It was his 17th birthday, and he had no family that loved him as he loved them to share it with. Harry thought to himself, "Is fate running against me?" Harry shook his head and sighed. His 6th year had been bumpy. He started going out with Cho Chang, but as he was so depressed all the time, she dumped him after 3 weeks. Harry hadn't cared at the time, but now he wished he could find somebody to share things with.

Harry got up and sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands. He shook his head again and muttered to himself, "I can't believe he's actually gone." He had nobody. Not a single soul in this universe that he could share his trouble's with. Harry Potter had many troubles that most do not realize. He liked many girls before, but they were all too shy to approach him so he had never had a real girlfriend before Cho. He didn't notice any of the girls, or anybody else for that matter, these days, not even his friends. He and Ron talked every once in awhile, and because he and Hermione were such nice people, they stuck with Harry even though he didn't talk to them much. What Harry didn't realize, was that Hermione wasn't acting out of the kindness in her heart, but something else.

Hermione lay on her own bed at her family's house in London. She couldn't get to sleep. It seemed impossible. 7 times that day she had tried calling Harry's house to wish him a Happy Birthday and to talk with him and possibly tell him how she felt. She always got to the last digit of his telephone number and then hung up the phone, losing all the self-confidence she once had. She turned and faced the wall opposite her door and looked at a picture of Harry and herself that Ron had taken last year. In the picture, Harry isn't smiling, but his arm is draped carelessly around Hermione's shoulders. Hermione's face is bright and beautiful, and kept looking up at Harry and only grew more bright and cheerful. Harry always had the same low, bitter, depressed look on his face.

A single tear slid down Hermione's cheek. She wiped it away, but soon more tears came crashing down. She kept thinking to herself, "Why? Why won't he at least notice me? Why won't he speak to me? We used to be such best friends and now it's as if we're strangers. Why must I feel this way? Why must my heart pound whenever I see his face? Why oh why?" She had feelings for Ron through 2nd year and up to their 4th year but then she noticed Harry a lot more. She noticed how well he played Quidditch. She noticed how funny he was, how sensitive he was, and how caring he was. She noticed how cute he was, how he could always make her laugh, how he succeeded at most everything put before him.

5th year came so fast and she fell head over heels in love with him. When Harry came back from a D.A Christmas meeting saying he had kissed Cho under the mistletoe and had seemed to enjoy it, she had hid her jealousy until she got to her bedroom. Later that year, she watched him see Sirius leave the earth forever and wanted to hug him and tell him it would all be okay someday. In 6th year, she saw how depressed he was, and how she never saw his smile. Then he started going out with Cho, but still no smile. Then she dumped him and yet no emotion was shown. This year was going to be different, though. This year, he was going to change. This year, Hermione was going to change him back to the man she loved if it was the last thing she ever did.

Ronald Weasley opened his eyes slowly and looked around his room. He sat up and pulled off his blanket and stared at himself in the mirror across from his bed. He thought to himself, "Why must I be so ugly?" Ron, actually, wasn't ugly. He had long wavy red hair and big brown eyes. He never bothered to notice, but lots of girl's were in love with him. He wasn't the little, out-of-place, 11-year-old anymore. He was 17 now, and incredibly gorgeous, according to many Gryffindor girls' not already in love with the depressed Harry Potter. Ron didn't notice all the girls' that followed him, whispered about him when he entered the room, and watched him from afar. He thought the entire girl population hated him, but it was just the opposite for most of them.

Ron didn't know why Harry was so depressed. He knew Sirius had died and Ron missed him just the same, but Harry could try getting over it. Ron had never lost someone special to him before, so he had no idea how it felt. He never had stopped to think about life without his family. This caused problems with Harry and him. Ron tried to snap Harry out of it last year, but Harry had just snapped at him. Ron thought that Harry and him would be friends forever, because they had been friends for 5 years without a single fight between them, and now this. Ron looked back at his reflection and sighed. "This is going to be an interesting year." He thought.

Harry woke up on the morning of September 1st, the day he was to return to Hogwart's, and got up out of bed. He had gotten his books in Diagon Alley the day his list came in. He was allowed to do magic outside of school after he turned 17 so when he got his list of books the day after his birthday, he jumped on his broomstick and flew undetected to Diagon Alley. He still wasn't excited about anything, but he still got that wonderful feeling whenever he rode a broomstick.

Harry pulled on Muggle clothes and checked to make sure he had everything packed safely in his trunk and headed down the stairs. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were aware that Harry was allowed to do magic outside of school now, so they took extra precautions not to upset him. They also didn't have to take Harry to King's Cross Station for his final year. Harry dropped his trunk and Hedwig's cage outside of the kitchen door and went in. He sat down and ate the breakfast his aunt had put on the table, not saying a word to anybody. When he had finished he made to get up, but Uncle Vernon stopped him saying, "Sit down, Harry. We need to have a little chat." Harry sat back down and nodded his head.

"Well, boy, I mean, Harry. This is your last and final year at that school of yours. Hogwart's isn't it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, that Headmaster of yours, Professor Dumbledore, when he dropped you on our doorstep 17 years ago, he left a letter explaining why you were there. He also left a letter from your Mother and Father that you were to read before you went to your final year at Hogwart's."

"Well? Where is it?"

"I have it right here."

He handed Harry a letter and he opened the envelope carefully and then decided he would read it on the train. He might miss it if he dawdled too long. He put the letter in his pocket and nodded in thanks to his Uncle. He said to them all, "Good-bye. I may never see you again." He walked out of the room and picked up his trunk and Hedwig's cage. He looked back in the kitchen when he passed it and said, "Thanks for raising me. Even though we never got along." With that said, Harry walked out of Number 4 Privet Drive forever.

Ron stepped through the barrier that separated Platform's 9 &10 and walked along the sidewalk of Platform 9 ¾. He heard his sister, Ginny, come through the barrier behind him, but didn't turn around. He stopped outside one of the entrances and waited for the rest of his family to come through. He and Ginny said goodbye to them all and hugged them, then got on the train. Ginny spotted some of her friends and went to sit with them. Ron searched the compartments for Hermione and soon found her sitting in one near the back along with Harry.

Harry was sitting against the wall staring out the window at the beautiful day outside. Ron said, "Hello, Hermione. How was your summer?" Hermione got up and gave Ron a hug saying, "Hi, Ron!" She sat back down and explained how her summer went to the very last detail. By the time she had finished telling him everything they were well on their way. Then Ron asked Harry, "How was your summer, Harry?"

"Fine."

"Anything interesting happen?"

"Nope."

"That's a shame."

"Yup."

Harry then remembered his letter. Hermione and Ron started chatting, and Harry took the letter out of his pocket and opened it slowly. He pulled out the letter inside it and held it in his hands, taking it all in. 17 years before, his parents had written him this letter. He couldn't help wondering what it'd be like to have his parents and Sirius here with him. He shook the memory of Sirius's death away and opened the folded parchment. He looked at the loopy handwriting and held back a tear. He finished unfolding the letter and read:

"Dear our only son,

I guess since you're reading this, it's your last year at Hogwart's. Congratulations on making it this far! Now, Harry, don't get angry about this, but we knew Sirius was going to pass through the veil. We also knew we were going to be murdered by Voldemort. I'm so sorry, but just think of it this way; you never have to see that wretched sister of your mother's or her demon family ever again. Like I said before, don't get angry that we didn't try to stop this from happening, but we couldn't fool with destiny, it's dangerous. This letter may seem pointless, but we just thought you had a right to know. Happy Birthday 16 times. Congratulations again, and your mother and I wish we could be there to see you graduate and see your wedding and see our grandchildren. Don't forget, alive or dead, we'll love you forever.

Love,

Mum and Dad."

Harry held back more tears and then noticed that Hermione and Ron were both staring at him. He resisted the urge to scream and said, "They knew they were going to die. They knew Sirius was going to die. They knew and they didn't do a damn thing about it." He put his head in his hands and Ron and Hermione tried to process this sudden outburst. That one exclamation was more than Harry had ever said at one time. Hermione cautiously asked, "Who knew?" Harry picked up his head and said, "My parents. They knew that Voldemort was going to murder them and yet they didn't do a single thing about it like run or hide or anything. They'd rather not mess with destiny than raise me." He pushed the letter towards them and put his head back down in his hands. Ron took the parchment in his hands and read it aloud to Hermione. She gasped when he was finished reading it and stood up and walked over to where Harry was sitting. He sat down next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. Harry picked his head up and Hermione saw that he was crying. Harry had given in and let the tears flow. Hermione could feel his pain and pulled him into a hug, which to Hermione's delight, he returned and sobbed onto her shoulder.

Ron said to them both, "I'm going to go see how close we are to the school." He got up and walked out of the compartment, leaving Hermione and Harry hugging. Harry kept saying to her, "They knew and they didn't do anything." Hermione comforted him until he stopped crying. After a couple minutes Hermione said to him, "Harry? I sort of know how you're feeling. I lost my grandmother last year. Would you like me to help you?" Harry nodded and gave her another hug. Hermione walked to her seat and sat down, floating on air. Ron came back in uncertainly and said, "We'll be arriving in about an hour." Harry nodded and Hermione said, "Well, I'll be right back. I'm going to change into my robes." Ron nodded and said to Harry once she left, "You okay, mate?"

"Yeah, Ron. I'm okay."

"I've never seen you cry before."

"Yeah. It's not something I do often, but sometimes…sometimes you just need a good cry to help get over things, you know?"

"Yeah. So does that mean you're over Sirius's death?"

"No! How can I ever get over it?"

"Harry! Don't get angry with me! I'm just trying to get my best friend to see that life goes on, and you don't have to get over it but you can't be depressed all the time!"

Harry turned is head towards the window and didn't respond. He thought to himself, "This is going to be a long year."

**A/N- I hope u like this story, please review and tell me what you think! **

**Love, **

**Dangerous Combonation**


	2. Let The Help Begin

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

**Depression **

**Chapter 2**

**Let the Help Begin**

They arrived at school and entered the Great Hall. Harry kept the same frown on his face. It wasn't a depressed frown, it was more of an "I'm angry and I'm thinking about stuff, so mess with me, and you're going to get hurt" frown. Everyone pretty much understood the frown and left him alone. He watched the sorting, cheered a little for the new Gryffindors, and listened to Dumbledore's usual "Beginning of the Year" speech. Then he announced that Hermione had been made Head Girl, and Draco had been made Head Boy. No one was particularly surprised.

Finally it was time to go to sleep. Harry couldn't have been happier that he could be away from everyone else. As Dumbledore would say, "One can never think properly when surrounded by happy souls." He trudged up the steps and into the familiar dormitory. He walked across the room slowly, not looking around him. He jumped when he heard someone say, "Hello, Harry." He turned slowly, a confused look on his face, to see Neville, sitting on his own bed.

"Hi, Neville."

"How was your summer?"

"It was okay."

"Mine was okay, too."

"That's great, Neville."

"You still depressed?"

"Depressed? I didn't say anything about being depressed! Who said I was depressed?"

"Harry, everyone can see it. You used to be such a fun guy, and now you're like…a slug. Boring, uninteresting, and doesn't care about anything going on around it. You used to be my hero, and now I can't even look at you without disgust."

"Neville, don't upset me. I'm about to punch the next person who even looks at me funny."

"I'm sorry, Harry, but it had to be said. You can punch me or whatever you want. I've stopped caring, too. One your hero turns into whatever it is you are, it's hard to be happy about much anything."

He clenched his fist, wanting to punch Neville in the face, but decided that he really wasn't in the mood right then.

"Goodnight, Neville."

"Night, Harry."

Harry put on his pajamas and crawled into bed, trying to pretend that the incident with Neville never happened. He heard the rest of his dorm members come in at different points; Dean Thomas was first, then Ron, and finally Seamus Finnigan. They started talking loudly to Neville, who apparently hadn't gone to sleep when Harry had. Harry tried listening to the conversation, but soon found it pointless and drifted off into sleep.

The first few days of school were busy and hectic, what with everyone trying to get used to their schedules and the sudden change from summer time to school. On one particular day, Hermione came to the Gryffindor Common Room from the Head Tower, looking for Harry. She saw him sitting on the couch with a book in his lap. He stomach fluttered when she saw him, but she remained under control as she walked over to him, plopping down on the couch next to him.

"Hi, Harry."

He said without looking up, "Hey, 'Mione."

"Um, I was just wondering…do you still want me to help you with this whole…depression thing?"

For a moment, Harry wanted to tell her off for calling him depressed as Neville had done, but he stopped himself, remembering what Neville had said to him. _You used to be such a fun guy, and now you're like…slug. Boring, uninteresting, and doesn't care about anything going on around it. _He didn't want to be a slug anymore, he wanted to be the "fun guy" everyone used to know and love. He said to her, "Yeah…I don't know what you'll be able to do…but this slug is ready to turn back into that "fun guy" he used to be."

Hermione, puzzled, said, "Slug? Fun guy? Where's this coming from, Harry?"

"Oh, just something Neville said."

"Neville? Neville Longbottom actually said something that got through to you! Wow."

"Hey!"

"Sorry. Okay, so come to the Room of Requirement tonight at about 9. I guess we'll start there."

She sighed and got up, leaving Harry to get back to his book.

That night Harry set out for the Room of Requirement, wondering what Hermione would do to help them. He got the room, and realizing he didn't know what to do, he sat down by the place the door was supposed to be. A short while later Hermione got there, puzzled as to why he was on the floor.

"Uh, Harry…why are you on the floor and not in the room?"

"I didn't know what we needed in the room, so I couldn't very well go into the non-existent room now could I?"

She laughed softly and he smiled, realizing he loved her smile. Hermione saw the smile and got flutters in her stomach at the sight of it. It had been so long since he had smiled. "I guess that was my bad. Sorry!" She laughed softly again and walked back and forth 3 times, thinking about the room she needed. The door appeared and they entered the room.

Harry looked around the room, feeling a little weird about this whole thing. The room looked much like a psychiatrist's office. A couch was in the middle of the room, and a big armchair stood facing it. It was a small room, but comfortable. Hermione sat down in the chair and gestured for Harry to sit on the couch.

"Er, Hermione?"

"Hm?"

"Just curious…why are we in here?"

"Well, I figure that we should start with you letting everything out. It's what psychiatrists do."

Harry shrugged and spread out on the couch.

"Now, Harry, I have realized something."

"And what's that, Miss Psychiatrist?"

She laughed and said, "That!"

"What?"

"You're being…funny again. You're talking more. You're laughing more. You're starting to be the old Harry that I love." She had let the last part slip out. Harry, who wasn't giving her his complete attention, snapped back to what she was saying and said, "What did you just say?" She stammered out, "Oh, uh…what?"

"You said something about me being the old Harry…then I didn't quite catch that last part. What did you say?"

"Uh, I just said that you're starting to be the old Harry that everyone loves."

"Oh…"

For a minute, Harry had thought he heard Hermione say that she loved him. That would've been a dream come true. Ever since that day on the train when she had held him and hugged him in his time of need, he had found her to be a very warm, loving, caring, attractive woman. It was a sudden change of feelings, from best friend to…would it be a crush? He seemed to old to have crushes…but nevertheless, he felt something for Hermione that he couldn't explain. He hadn't felt like this for anyone before. It kind of scared him, these feelings. It seemed too rushed to him, but he definitely didn't hate the feelings. Not in the slightest.

"So, Harry…just tell me what you're feeling."

So Harry let out his feelings about Sirius's death. The abandonment, the betrayal, the loneliness, and the fear. All of this was new to Hermione, but she encouraged him to continue. It seemed like he had never let these thoughts out, that they had stayed within the safety and comfort of his own mind. It was a good feeling, knowing that he was trusting this information with her. She sighed inside, taking in his looks. His jet-black hair was long and out of control, and his light green eyes sparkling in the dim candlelight.

She was pulled from her thoughts by Harry snapping his fingers in his face and yelling, "'Mione!" She snapped back and said, "Yes, Harry?"

"You were just staring at me, not being particularly responsive. I was just wondering what you were thinking about."

It was out before she could stop herself, "You."

He was taken aback. He said, "Me?"

Hermione gasped, realizing her second blunder, "Well, uh, I was thinking about…uh…what you were…uh…saying…" She realized that she couldn't hide it anymore. She stood up quickly and walked over to him quickly. She stopped in front of him and leaned down, taking a deep breath, watching Harry's confused and curious expression. She took another deep breath, closing her eyes and doing what she had wanted to do for the longest time.

She kissed him.

**A/N-**

**Did Harry's feelings for Hermione seem too rushed? I tried to explain that they were rushed, but that was the beauty of it. One simple embrace can change you forever. Isn't that pretty? Haha. Okay, I don't think there's anything else. Thank you to my few reviewers! Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Love, **

**DC**


	3. Reactions

**Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter! Just wanted to remind you, this story is rated M. **

**Depression**

**Chapter 3**

**Reactions**

Harry sat there, on the couch, not knowing what to do. He didn't hate the kiss, he actually rather enjoyed it. He had just recently come to the conclusion that he liked Hermione as more than a friend, and kissing her was absolutely fantastic. He assumed that this meant that she liked him, too.

Hermione had no idea what came over her. She never thought she'd get the chance to kiss the man of her dreams. And he wasn't pulling back, which made her feel even better. _Is he eager for attention and love? Or does he feel the same? _She started to ponder, but then decided to just enjoy this kiss, because she might never get the chance to kiss him like this again.

He deepened the kiss, without even really thinking about it. He pulled her down onto his lap on the couch, not wanting the kiss to end. Before they knew it, they were moaning, pouring their love into each other's mouths. Before they could stop it, they're clothes lay forgotten on the floor beside the couch. Hermione stopped, wearing only her bra and undies, Harry only in his boxers.

"Harry, I love you, and I am happier than I've ever been, just being here, kissing, and about to do other things, with you. I would be more than happy to give myself to you…but not if I don't know that you feel like I do."

"Hermione…I…I don't know what to say. I've liked you since that day on the train, when you offered these "help sessions" to me, which are quite superb, might I add," He smiled and continued, "I know that I care for you deeply. Kissing you…it…it ignited a part of me that I didn't know was there. This one session alone had helped me more than you will ever know. This one session has taught me to love. It feels weird to say this, and so rushed, but I love you. I don't know if that weird kind of "you love love" type of thing, but I don't think so. I can't be in love with love since I've never loved this before you know? I'd give myself to you, too, but only if you want it to. I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do, because I've always felt that people who do that are selfish, piggish, egoistic—"

"Harry, you're rambling."

"I'm sorry." He blushed and said, "What I'm saying I guess, is that I won't be the kind of person to do it and leave you. You have my word."

Hermione looked into those green eyes, which she loved so much, and saw that he was being truly sincere. She trusted that he wouldn't go and break her heart but taking her and then betraying her. His eyes showed warmth and passion, and a fiery lust, which she knew was dancing in her eyes as well.

She kissed him again, and then trailed kissed down his chest and stomach, taking in the sweet scent of his flesh. Axe body spray, by the smell of it, and salty sweat. It was so manly, and she found herself breathing deeply, her eyes rolling back in ecstasy. She pulled off his boxers and he pulled off her remaining clothes. Hermione made her way back up to his mouth, kissing him deeply, letting all of her love flow out into him.

He connected their souls, and Hermione had a vision of true paradise. It felt so right, so real. It seemed unreal that an hour ago, she was walking to the Room of Requirement, thinking of Harry and what she would say to try and cheer him up. Now she was losing her virginity to him.

Countless hours later, Hermione lay in Harry's arms, a conjured sheet over both of them, smiles plastered on their red faces. Hermione woke up first. She sat there for a second, looking around her, and breathing in Harry's masculine scent. Then she realized where she was, and what had happened the night before and she got up quickly, wrapping the sheet around her, searching for her clothes and her watch. Harry woke up at the absence of the sheet and said, "Hey, you. Why'd you take she sheet?" Hermione, distracted, conjured up another sheet, which floated from the ceiling and landing on Harry's head, and said, "Sorry. I'm looking for my watch."

"Why?"

"Uh…because I want to know what time it is?"

Harry saw his wand sticking out of the pocket of his jeans beside his feet and pulled it out. He said a spell, and numbers appeared in the air, looking like a digital clock, without the clock.

"It's 6:53 AM."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's up?"

"Well, I'm Head Girl, and if I'm missing for too long, someone will get suspicious. And since you're well known around school, they'll notice you're gone, too. Ron for example."

"Wow…"

"What?"

"I can't believe I'm not a virgin anymore."

Hermione laughed, remembering the night before. Harry suddenly asked, "Hermione…we're going out now, right?"

Hermione thought this over and then nodded her head excitedly. Harry smiled brightly as Hermione jumped on him, kissing him. _How did things get so perfect so quickly? _

A short time later, after they had both gotten dressed, went back to their dorms, showered, and eaten breakfast, Harry met Hermione in the Gryffindor Common Room. She sat next to him, snuggling up close to him. They got a few odd looks, but everyone seemed to understand that they were in a "new relationship."

Ron reacted rather surprisingly. He came into the Common Room and sat on the chair across from the couch that Harry and Hermione were sitting on. He stared at them for a few minutes, and then suddenly realizing that Harry had his arm around her, and her head was on his shoulder, and goofy grins were stuck on their beaming faces.

"What's going on?"

Hermione answered, "What do you mean?"

"You're sitting all…close…and couple-like…and you both look disgustingly happy…like something's happened with you two." Something clicked in his head and his eyes widened as he said, "You two…you…you're together, aren't you?"

Harry nodded, and their grins only grew bigger. Ron just stared at them, lost for words. He wasn't sure how to take it. On one hand, he was happy for his two best friends. They looked good together, and they seemed happy. On the other hand, he had a sort of crush on Hermione for a little while, so knowing that hope was pretty much lost, he was a little despaired. He tried not to show his disappointment as he said, "Congratulations." He made an excuse about working in the Library and left the Tower, feeling sorry for himself.

He walked along the hall, wondering what was wrong with him. He was so into his thoughts that he bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

He bent down to help her pick up her books. He glanced up and saw Hannah Abbot, staring back at him.

"Hi…Ron…"

"Hey, Hannah…"

_Her eyes are so blue…and look at her hair…golden ringlets…she's really pretty…how come I never noticed it before?_

_Wow…look at his brown eyes! They really sparkle when they hit the light just right. His red hair looks really cute! Where has he been these past 7 years? _

Withoutthinking, Ronlunged at Hannah and they were making out on the hallway floor! He didn't know what came over him. He was attracted to her, and who wouldn't be? She's gorgeous! He was also upset about Hermione. He did feel a little bad about replacing Hermione with Hannah, but at that moment, he didn't care. Kissing Hannah felt really good, and although he felt a little guilty, at that moment, she wasn't holding back. Hannah didn't have any regrets about kissing Ron. She'd known him for 7 years, right? So what if it was simply a physical attraction? Who said that was a bad thing? Who said it couldn't progress into more.

All anyone else knew, Ron had left Gryffindor Tower an unhappy, gloomy, and basically depressed man. But when he returned after dinner, he couldn't have been happier. He got many questions, but he wouldn't answer any of them. Not yet. Things with Hannah were just starting, and he wasn't the kind of person to rush things.

Ron did, however, tell Harry. That night, when the other 7th year boys were sleeping, Ron told Harry all about his encounter with Hannah. Harry thought about telling Ron about what happened between him and Hermione the previous night, but decided to respect Hermione and not go spilling everything to his best mate. He had a strange feeling that Hermione wouldn't like that too much.

The next few days were, if anything, good. Hermione and Harry spent as much time as possible together, which made everyone who was pining for Harry jealous, and those dying for him to be happy again joyful at his sudden cheeriness. Hermione certainly had done a number on him. Sure, he was still upset about the loss of his godfather, but being with Hermione made him forget about Sirius, and forget about being unhappy. She was his drug. He couldn't get enough of her. Likewise was true for Hermione. She had loved him for so long, and now they were together and Harry was as happy as he should be at this time in his life. Life was like a dream. Nothing could go wrong!

How wrong Hermione was.

**A/N- MWAHAHA! I'm evil, aren't I? Not so much, I guess. I'm TERRBILY sorry for the delay! I had this really bad Writer's Block, a story to finish, two to continue to update, and one to start! Not to mention, high school's HARD and I JUST finished with all my exams. (:D) I've got a whole new batch of inspiration coming, so I'll try and update soon. I know this chapter isn't as long as it could be, but I mean, I was stretching to get THIS much out. I wanted to touch upon the "perfectness" of the situation, and then drop this bomb. I hope what I'm planning turns out to be good. The whole Ron/Hannah thing came to me SO fast. I was typing that last night, and I was thinking about whether Ron should be all happy for them, or be a miserable bum. I decided to make him walk around and think. Then the idea came to me, he bumps into someone. The idea just came faster and faster, and I was typing so furiously, my fingers hurt. I'm not even kidding. What I came up with is what read! Is it okay? I realize that it's completely rushed, and maybe pointless, but whatever. I made sure to touch on the whole, "rushed" thing. I mean, in HBP, Ron randomly starts making out with Lavender (that's the right name, right?) so I thought, what the heck? Okay, so now away from my rambling. The "sex scene" sounds weird, it's got to, as I SUCK at those…well, I think so, but my friend Sarah says I'm good at it. / Anyway. Hope it sounds okay. Thank you so much all of my reviewers! I have a few to thank personally: **

**Jedi Master Bob- when I got your review, it gave me the idea for this chapter. I took your advice, and it worked perfectly! I'm totally using that from now on to rid myself of the dreaded Writers Block. Thanks! This chapter is dedicated to you! **

**Call me brit- I'm WAY happy that you're hooked. I hope you're still reading this, despite my long update! Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks: D**

**Wish I could thank ALL of you, but I can't! I love you all SO much, and please keep reviewing! **

**PLEASE REVIEW! **

**Love, **

**DC**


	4. Trouble Begins

**Disclaimer: don't own nothing! **

**Depression**

**Chapter 4**

**Trouble Begins**

Ron started seeing Hannah in private. Neither were ready to make their relationship known yet. He told Harry bout it, and in turn he told Hermione all about it. Harry was suddenly happy again. He'd always felt something special for Hermione, but until now he didn't know that he liked her like that. Now he liked her even more. He was on the verge of love! Liking Hermione took away the pain of Sirius and the feeling of betrayal from his parents and their letter.

Things went back to normal, well as normal as possible, and time flew by. Girls started hanging onto Harry's every word, and Hermione shooed them off, claiming Harry all to herself. One girl was watching with specific interest. She had liked Harry for almost as long as Hermione had. She had her chance, but when he got depressed she gave up. Now that he was happy and cheerful again, she was out to get him. _I wont let him slip through my fingers again. I'm going to have Harry Potter, and he is going to love me more than anything, more than that Hermione. Oo, and that Hermione…she is going down. No one takes Harry Potter from me. _

Ron walked along the hallway, happy. He'd been seeing Hannah for about a month. He was going off to meet her right then in an empty classroom so they could talk and not look suspicious. He got to the room and looked in, seeing Hannah sitting on a desk, looking totally innocent. No one worse their school robes at night, so she was wearing a long denim skirt, a short sleeve stripe girl's polo shirt, and weird potato looking shoes. Ron wasn't sure what they were called. He knocked and opened the door. Hannah ran to him and kissed him quickly.

"Hey, Hannah."

"Hi, Ron! How're you doing?"

"I'm okay…well, as okay as I can be without being with you during the day."

"I know, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Ron nodded and she continued, "Do you think we're ready to…to take our relationship…out of the closet…maybe a little?"

Ron smiled and said, "Do _you _think we're ready?"

"Well, we've been seeing each other for about a month, and it seems to me that we're doing fine…we get along great and I like you a whole lot and I don't really see why we _shouldn't_…to tell you the truth, I don't know why we didn't in the first place."

"Because…because…you know, I'm not really sure why either…"

They laughed and Hannah kissed him quickly before saying, "I couldn't stay long. I haven't started that essay for Snape yet. Bye!" She kissed him again and left. Ron stood in the middle of the classroom, slightly dazed. He shook himself from his trance and then left the room, too.

The next morning, Hermione walked along the hall, thinking about Harry, of course. She was heading towards breakfast in the Great Hall. Then she heard a peculiar sound coming from a closet, so, being Head Girl and all, she had to go see what was going on. She opened the door and said, "Hello?"

"Why hello, Hermione…" A voice from the shadows crept eerily out.

"Who's there?"

"Step inside, and you can find out…"

"Hey, I don't know what kind of sick game this is, but I have a boyfriend!"

"I know."

"So if you do anything to hurt me, he'll come after you! If I'm missing for too long he'll come looking for me!"

"Relax, Hermione, I'm not going to hurt you like _that_. I have no interest in women."

"Harry's going to be here soon!" She was about to slam the door when the voice said, "Is talking about your boyfriend supposed to intimidate me?"

"Well…" Hermione was slightly taken aback.

"It won't. The whole reason I'm doing this is to get to him anyway!" Hermione backed up quickly until she was against the wall, looking at the open closet door and the darkness within. The voice said, "Anyone coming for you, dear Hermione?"

Hermione looked left and right, wishing someone would come. She replied, "Um…"

"Great!"

The person behind the voice stepped out. Hermione opened her mouth to scream, but a hand covered her mouth before she could cry out.

"Come with me, Hermione…"

Before she could stop it, Hermione was being dragged into the closet and through a secret passage at the back.

Harry looked around the Great Hall curiously, not seeing Hermione anywhere. He thought to himself, _I wonder if she's not feeling well…_ The owls made a sweep in through the window and to their owners. A brown school owl dropped a letter in front of Harry, who stared at it uncertainly. He reached out for it, then brought his hand back sharply, then reached for it again. He picked it up and ripped it open, unfolding the parchment quickly. Enchanted writing started flowing across the page. He read quietly to himself, "_Harry Potter, if you ever want to see your girlfriend again, come to the dungeons tonight at 11 o'clock. Don't tell anyone where you're going, or what you're doing. If anyone asks, Hermione's…sick. See you soon, Harry!" _

The parchment started to burn, without flames, and Harry dropped it on his plate. When it had turned into ashes, the ashes were sucked into midair by an invisible vacuum. Harry stared at his plate where the ashes used to be, scared but knowing what he had to do. _I can't lose Hermione! I have to go. I could use Ron's help…no, I can't. The note said I couldn't tell anyone. This isn't good…_

**A/N- yes, it's really short, I know. I have SO many ideas for the next chapter, and it should be up soon. This is what I call, "A Transition Chapter" It sets the scene and gives you an idea of what's going on without being a full chapter. Next chapter will be EXTRA long! I PINKY PROMISE! Thank you all of my reviewers, you all rock so much! I know the past few chapters weren't up to my usual standards, and I apologize. Many love it how it is, but it's not like my other stories. It's not my usual writing, and I'm trying to convert it to that a bit.**

**Next chapter will be FULL of fun! I promise! Mystery person gets revealed, Ginny meets someone unexpected, Ron and Hannah take their relationship public, and Harry runs to Hermione's rescue! Exciting, no? I hope it will be. **

**Please give me a little time because my uncle recently died, and so things are kind of depressing for me and I won't be able to write as much as I'd like. I hope you all forgive me. As always, please review on your way out! **

**Love, **

**DC**


	5. To The Rescue

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**Yay! I'm back! Enjoy! **

**Depression**

**Chapter 5**

**To The Rescue**

At 10:55 that night, Harry left the Common Room, hidden under his Invisibility Cloak. He walked slowly and hesitantly down the hall, curious as to what he was walking into. He reached the dungeons, unsure as to what he was supposed to do now. He leaned up against the door to the dungeons and fell backwards. He landed on the floor hard and winced at the pain, careful to remain quiet. He thought to himself, _Door must've been open…_He looked around but didn't see anything in the pitch darkness around him. Suddenly a lantern flickered on at the back of the room and a feminine voice called, "Hello, Harry. It's good to see you again…" He called back, "Who's there? Where's Hermione? Is she hurt? What'd you do to her? Come out of the dark!"

"One thing at a time, dear Harry. Hermione is safe, she's right here."

Harry heard a muffled scream. He called to the voice, "Who are you?"

"Hasty, hasty Harry! Be patient. All in good time, all in good time."

"What do you want from me?"

"Not _from _you, I just want _you_."

"You…you want…you want _me?_ Why?"

"I'm in love with you, Harry Potter. I had the chance to be with you, but I gave it up. I hope you can forgive me."

"When did you ever have a chance with me?"

"That's not important. What's important is that I broke you heart a while back, and then you broke mine by getting with _her_."

He heard the muffled scream again. He took a step towards the light and said, "You broke my heart? When? I don't remember that…"

"Well, maybe I didn't break your heart because you were too damn depressed about losing your godfather or whatever."

He took another step towards the light and said, "During my depression…" It suddenly hit him, "Cho!"

"That's right, Harry dear. It's me. Cho Chang."

Earlier In The Day 

Ron entered the Great Hall, hand in hand with Hannah. No one seemed to notice, really. This made Ron kind of angry. He felt like shouting, "Hey everybody! See this? Hannah and I are _together_! Notice you idiots!" But he kept his cool as he walked Hannah to her seat at the Hufflepuff table, and kissed her before walking to his own seat. That got their attention. As he walked back, he heard people cat calling, and he knew people had noticed. He smiled to himself proudly.

He was so into his thoughts about Hannah, he didn't notice Ginny running towards him, tears streaming down her face, until she had run right past him, almost knocking him over. He called after her, "Ginny?" She kept running. She didn't stop until she collided with someone at the entrance to the Great Hall. She thought to herself, _Great, more embarrassment._ She wiped the tears from her face and looked up to see the surprised face of none other than Draco Malfoy.

She slapped her forehead as he said, "Well, what do we have here? Little Weaslet having a bad morning?"

"Shove off, Malfoy. I'm not in the mood today."

She pushed past him and started walking down the hall. He wasn't satisfied yet, so he turned and ran to catch up with her. He grabbed her arm and said, "Ah, ah, ah. You didn't even apologize for bumping into me."

"Shove _off_, Malfoy!"

"Not until you apologize…like you mean it."

"Fine! _I'm sorry!_ Happy? Now leave me alone."

"I said to say it like you meant it. That didn't sound too convincing."

By now they had reached the end of the hall and turned onto a deserted corridor. She stopped and turned to him and said, "I'm sorry for bumping into you, Malfoy."

"Without the 'Malfoy', please."

"What do you want from me, _Malfoy_?"

"A sincere apology."

She shook her head and walked away from him, thinking about the previous episode in the Great Hall. Tears sprang to her eyes as Malfoy caught up with her again and grabbed her arm. He spun her around to face him and he saw the tears and backed down. He said, "I didn't think an apology would make you _cry_…"

"It's not that, moron."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Why do _you _care?"

"Excuse me for being polite!"

"I just caught my boyfriend snogging some other chick, okay?"

"You have a boyfriend? Since when?"

"_Had_, actually, and since the beginning of the year. On the train."

"Who?"

"Dean Thomas. We didn't make it public, really."

"Did you shag him?"

"Okay, now that's a little too personal!"

He put up his hands and said, "Okay, okay…"

"Can I go now?"

"Feisty much?"

"Well I'd like to go off to my room and have another good cry if you wouldn't mind."

"Crying won't help. If he knows you're upset, he'll feel more superior. He'll feel on top of the world."

"That's sick!"

"It's how guys work if they're cheating on their girl."

"And you would know this…?"

"I'm a pro." He smiled proudly but Ginny only saw conceitedness.

"I'm sure…"

"I suggest something to get him back."

Ginny looked at his face, full of mystique and ideas. She nodded her head and said, "Any suggestions?" He smirked and relayed his plan to her.

Ron sat down at the Gryffindor table, right next to Harry. He turned to Harry, who was staring at his plate intently, and said, "Staring at the plate isn't going to get you any food, mate." Harry seemed to snap out of a trance and replied, "What?"

"You were staring at your plate. Why?"

"Oh. Just thinking."

"About?"

Harry lied, "Transfiguration. We've got that first thing today, right?"

Ron nodded; his mouth full of toast, swallowed, and then said, "Yeah. Hey, did you see me come in with Hannah?" He smiled proudly and Harry laughed, saying, "Well don't be so happy, Ron!" Ron laughed and they continued eating breakfast. They both looked up when whispers and murmurs started going quickly around the Great Hall. Coming through the door, at that exact moment, was Ginny Weasly, holding hands and looking cuddly with none other, then Draco Malfoy.

Ron jumped to his feet and stalked quickly over to where Ginny and Draco were coming in. When he reached them he grabbed Draco by the hair and threw him aside and screamed, "_Get your slimy, _disgusting _hands off of my sister!_" It was then that Harry reached Ron, having quickly followed Ron, curious, but with ever intention of pulling Ron off. He grabbed Ron and said, "Ron, you need to calm down, okay? This is _nuts, _I know, but _calm down_, mate."

"He had his hands all over Ginny!"

"I know, but _calm down_. You're causing a scene."

"_I don't care! _He's _Malfoy_ for Pete's sake!"

Ginny stood in front of him and said quietly, "Ron, I love you, you know that, but believe me. This isn't what it looks like. Just please calm down and everything will be fine. I'll explain it to you in private. _Please_! I'm _begging _you. Calm down."

Ron saw the look in her eyes, the look of fear, and loosened up. He said to her, "You swear you're not _really _with Malfoy?"

"No, Ron. Never. Mark my words. I will _never _be with Draco Malfoy."

Later in the Common Room, Ginny as sitting with Ron at a table, telling him the whole story, "So my ex was cheating on me, and blah, blah, blah, to make a long story short, Draco came up with a plan to get back at him." She thought it was best not to mention Dean's name because he slept in the same dormitory as Ron, and she wanted to avoid drama. She continued, "I pretend I'm with Draco to make _him _sorry and maybe it'll hurt him, like he hurt me." Ron gawked at his sister and said, "Wow, Ginny, I'm impressed. Why won't you tell me 'his' name?"

"Because, knowing you, you'll go and pick a fight with him and I don't want to cause any drama or anything. Things are dramatic enough without you fighting him. Ron, listen, you have to pretend to be perfectly okay with this whole Draco thing. We have to make everyone believe that Draco and I are a real couple, otherwise it won't work."

Ron nodded in agreement and said, "I want to kill whoever made you so upset as to go to _Malfoy_…"

"I know, Ron, I know. Trust me, I know. I want to murder him, too. But, really? I didn't go to Draco. Draco just kind of caught me at the bad time and helped me. Really, I didn't go and _find _him…"

Ron nodded again and then headed up to bed. In the dormitory, he looked around for Harry. He hadn't seen him in the Common Room downstairs, and he wasn't here. He pushed his worry from his mind and said to himself, "Oh, he's probably off with Hermione somewhere…" He smiled to himself and continued to bed.

A/N- 

**MWAHAHA! I'm done, and I didn't go back to Harry/Hermione/Cho or any of that! Be patient and review a lot and you'll get to read what happens next soon! I don't remember any notes I had so I guess I'll just say PLEASE REVIEW, because then I would love you FOREVER AND EVER, and please come back and read some more and stuff…you could also read some of my other stories to pass the time between updates…I don't know, JUST A SUGGESTION: D! Seriously though, GO READ THEM! They're SEXY! Haha…yeah, I'm hyper right now. Listening to Good Charlotte, as I'm doing now, gets me like that. Anyway, LATERS! **

**Love, **

**DC**


	6. Let's Play Pretend part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything with it…just the plot and stuff. **

**Depression**

**Chapter 6**

**Let's Play Pretend**

"Cho! What…what is your problem? What the heck did I ever do to you? What'd Hermione ever do to you?"

"Well, it's kind of a double whammy here. See, remember when we had that date back in 5th year? And we went to—"

"Yeah, that crazy tea place? With all those people snogging all over the place? Madam Puddifoot or whatever? What about it?"

"Don't you remember how you just _had _to go and meet your dear Hermione _right after _our date? It was like you had multiple dates!"

"What? Did I not explain to you that I was seeing Hermione for…what was it? Oh, yeah. It was to meet Rita Skeeter so I could publish my story. It had nothing to do with a date!"

"Oh…well, I've been jealous of her for quite some time anyway. Then when we broke up last year—"

"You mean when you dumped me because I was too sad over the loss of the person who meant the world to me?"

"_I was supposed to mean the world to you, Harry! _We were _together_! Yet, all you could do was mope and mourn!"

"You mourned for a year and a half over the loss of Cedric Diggory, and he was just your boyfriend at the time! Sirius was my godfather, like a second father to me. Seeing as how I didn't have any parents, Sirius was the only thing I had! I cannot believe you're criticizing me for missing him 4 months after he died!"

He heard Cho sniffle and he said, "Oh don't you go crying now. If you were strong enough to take Hermione, you're strong enough to keep your crocodile tears in."

"Fine, Harry. Fine. I still love you, and I want another chance with you…"

"Too bad I'm with Hermione." He said sarcastically.

"I could torture her into breaking up with you…or wipe her memory so that she doesn't even know you got together…or maybe I should just kill her right here?"

"Cho, where is she?"

"She's in this room. But she's got a Silencing Charm on her, so don't think she'll tell you where she is. And it's completely dark, so you won't find her."

"_Stupefy!" _Harry yelled.

"_Protego!" _Cho yelled back instantly.

Harry dodged his Stunning Spell as she said, "Don't you remember, Harry? You taught me that in the D.A."

Harry concentrated on how to cast spells without speaking. He closed his eyes and held up his wand, pointed straight at Cho. In his mind he yelled, _Stupefy!_ Red light shot out of his wand and hit Cho before she could react. Harry heard her hit the ground and he said, "_Lumos_." His wand tip ignited and he shone it around the room. He checked all of the corners without moving and then started looking behind spare desks.

When he finally realized he couldn't find her, that Cho had lied, Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map. He opened it and scanned it. He found himself on the map and Cho's still dot in the back of the room. Hermione wasn't in the room.

"Unless…" He glanced around the perimeter of the room on the map and saw a few rooms that branched off. Following different paths through many different rooms and doors, he finally saw a tiny dot in the corner of one room labeled, 'Hermione Granger'. He smiled and quickly set off on his path, opening a door on his right and continuing on into room with 6 doors. He glanced at the map again to navigate and chose the second one on the left. _Hold on, Hermione. I'm coming._

After going through 4 different rooms, he opened a door and saw a bushy haired girl sitting with her head on her knees in the corner. He couldn't hear her, but he saw her trembling. _She must be crying…_

"Hermione!"

Her head snapped up and a smile spread across her face. Harry lifted the charm as she jumped up and ran to him hugging.

"Oh, Harry! I knew you'd come!"

They embraced as Hermione said, "Harry, it was Cho Chang! She took me!"

"I know. I just stunned her to get here. Speaking of which, we better try and get out of here before she wakes up."

With Harry still using the map for a guide, they made their way back out of the dungeons and into the dark corridors of the castle. Harry draped the Invisibility Cloak over them and they made their way to Gryffindor Tower.

They reached the tower safely and entered the deserted Common Room. Harry re-ignited the fire with his wand and they sat down on a couch in front of it.

"So how _did _Cho take you?"

"She lured me into a broom closet."

"How…?"

"Well, I heard a strange noise inside, like someone was hitting the wall really hard. So I opened the door, and I sort of had this conversation with the voice inside, well, Cho, I suppose. I didn't know it was Cho until she came out and grabbed me. Then we sat in the broom closet all day, Cho put a locking charm on it so no one would open it and find us. I mean, Filch is a Squib, so he couldn't use _Alohomora_ now could he? And who in their right mind would be _that _desperate to get into a broom closet when there are tons of empty classrooms around? Anyway, when it got dark and pretty much everyone was in their Common Rooms, we came out. I was blindfolded so I didn't see where she took me. All I know is that we went down a lot of steps, presumably to get to the dungeons, and then we went through a lot of doors. Finally she threw into a corner. I think she checked her watch because she said, "Damn. Only 11 o'clock. He won't be here for another hour!" Then I heard her walk away and the door slammed behind her. As soon as I was sure she was gone, I took off the blindfold. After waiting for what seemed like _forever_, you came. And now we're here." **(A/N—try saying 'soon as I was sure she was gone' five times fast. You can add the rest of the sentence if you want, but this part is the harder part!)**

"Wow…okay, from now on, you don't go anywhere alone."

"Harry!"

"What?"

"You can't just stick a buddy on me like this!"

"And why not? I don't want this happening again."

"Me neither, but what are the odds of it happening again?"

"Actually, they're pretty high. Cho's still out there, and now she's angry…at me _and _you."

"Still, I'll be more prepared if it looks like it's going to happen. Okay?"

"Alright, fine…but don't go thinking that I'll be the one to save you when it happens again." He smiled.

"Harry!" She slapped his shoulder.

"I was just joking…just joking…"

Ginny woke up early the next day, eager to start Draco's plan. She thought to herself, _You know, he's really not the scum bucket I made him to be…I mean, he _did _follow me all that way…of course that part was for just an apology…but still, he offered to help me, and I find that to be sort of sweet. Oh, I can't _wait _to see the look on Dean's face when I eat breakfast _right across from him, _with Draco by my side. Oh, sweet, sweet revenge. This is going to be so much _funShe got up and went to the bathroom to shower.

When she got back to her room, she dressed and headed out to the Common Room. She reached the bottom of the stairs as Dean Thomas had reached the bottom of the Boy's Dormitory steps. Ginny felt like giving him an icy glare and slapping him straight across the face, but she knew that she had to pretend to be completely calm. She had to pretend that she was happily with Draco now and she wasn't bothered a bit by Dean and his new girlfriend, Lavender Brown. **(A/N- I meant to say who Dean's new girlfriend was in the chapter where Ginny saw them (Was that chapter…4?) but I forgot.) **

"Hi, Dean!" She said enthusiastically.

"Uh…hi, Ginny…"

She smiled and said, "Off to meet Lavender?"

"Yeah." Dean seemed to ease up a little bit now that the immediate danger of Ginny slapping him was clear.

"That's nice. I'm off to see Draco myself."

"Draco?"

"You know Draco Malfoy? He's from Slytherin? You _must _know him? He's in your year."

"Uh, yeah. I know him…I didn't know you fancied each other."

"Oh yes! He's been waiting on me to be available for a while. Good thing we broke up, right?"

Dean tensed back up.

"Uh…yeah…"

Ginny saw Draco approaching and said, "Well, see you later, Dean!"

Dean stopped in his tracks as she rushed to Draco and threw her arms around his neck.

"Hey, Draco!"

He smiled a rare smile. Ginny could feel Dean's eyes on them. Draco and Ginny broke apart and Draco grabbed her hand and they continued down the hall. Ginny thought, _Let's play pretend! _

**

* * *

A/N-**

**Hey guys. What's up? Sorry this story's been so dormant for so long. If you hadn't noticed, I have like 6 stories in progress and it's very difficult for me to update them all. Plus, this story is a lot different than my other stories…probably because it's my only Harry Potter story at the moment…so inspiration doesn't come so easy. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you keep reading! Kindly review on your way out! **

**Love, **

**DC**


	7. Let's Play Pretend part 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**Depression**

**Chapter 7 (7 chapters already? Wow.)**

**Let's Play Pretend part 2**

Ginny and Draco reached the Great Hall, still holding hands. He whispered in her ear, "Remember we have to sit together at the Gryffindor table to show that we're serious about this." Ginny smiled and nodded, whispering back, "We should sit right in front of Dean. It'll make the impact greater on him." He thought for a moment and then said, "We don't want to be too obvious, you know." She nodded again and whispered, "Okay, okay. It was just a suggestion." He replied back, still whispering, "And it was a good suggestion. I recommend we sit _near, _but not right by." She nodded once more as they arrived at her spot at the table. They sat down, still holding hands. Ginny took a quick glance down the table and saw that many people were gawking at them. One in particular, Dean, was watching with wide-eyed interest. Ginny smiled inside, glad that Draco's plan was working.

On the way down to breakfast, Harry said to Hermione, "We can't make a big scene about the whole Cho thing." Hermione stopped and looked at him, saying, "What do you mean?" Harry, who had kept walking, turned around and stared at her, "We can't make a big scene about the whole Cho thing."

"I heard you the first time. What I'm asking is why! And how? And for how long?"

"Until further notice, I suppose."

"Okay, so I'm supposed to pretend that everything's just all fine and dandy until _you _tell me otherwise?"

"Exactly."

Hermione groaned and said, "Harry, I'm getting sick of this."

"Sick of what? Us?" He gave her a worried look.

"No, not sick of us as a couple. I'm sick of you trying to run my life for me."

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?"

"You keep telling me what to do." She mimicked Harry, "_You can't go anywhere alone…we can't make a big scene until I say otherwise! _You're like, running my life for me lately!"

Harry looked down at his feet and said, "I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm just worried about you."

"I know, and I love that you care so much about me…but I'm a big girl, and I can definitely take care of myself."

Harry nodded and she gave him a hug, feeling better now that she had gotten that off her chest. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and they kept on towards the Great Hall.

Ron was sitting at the end of the Hufflepuff Table across from Hannah. People kept shooting him dirty looks, but he wasn't sure why. He took another glance down the table and then said to Hannah, "What is everyone's problem?" Hannah stared at him and said, "What do you mean?"

"They keep staring at us and shooting some nasty looks down this way."

Hannah smiled and said, "Maybe they're jealous!"

Ron shook his head and said, "I'm highly doubting that."

"Well what other explanation is there?"

"They don't like us. I mean, you and me…together. They don't much care for it."

"So?"

"So…?"

"So what if they don't approve. I don't need the permission of my House to date someone. Besides, who cares what they think? I've got you, and that's really all that matters to me."

Ron smiled and reached for her hand. Weaving his fingers around hers, he stared into her eyes. He'd never felt freer, more alive when he was with her. He knew that, despite his young age and lack of knowledge, he loved her. He smiled wider and said, "Hannah…?" She didn't take her eyes away from his and replied, "Hm?"

"I love you."

She smiled and, grabbing his other hand in her own, replied, "I love you, too, Ron."

Ron just couldn't stop smiling, not that he wanted to in the slightest. He was happier than he'd ever been in his whole life. The only step left for them was bringing her home to meet his parents, and hope that they fell in love with her, just as he had. He had no doubts that they'd be happy for him.

**A/N- Sorry it's so short, I'm rushing to meet deadlines. I promise to write more soon!**

**Love, **

**DC**


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